We voted, what now?

[Meg2]

I posted most of this in the Politics forum. Apparently I veered off (surprise!) topic to much because I received no response. Don’t know if this is the proper forum?

Now that the election is over, how to we put our beliefs into practice? My husband was talking with a friend of ours, asked him if he’s so passionate about abortion, then why doesn’t he get involved somehow. Friend said, “I did, I voted.”

I can’t believe this is enough!

On a global/national level, seems we need to pray for:

• overturning Roe vs. Wade
• no expansion of embryonic stem cell lines for research (Letter to the President)
• encouraging adoption of 400,000 IVF embryos and discouraging creation of additional embryos
  (Treatment of Discarded Embryos in Dispute)
• More states banning gay marriage
• Peaceful resolution of situation in North Korea and Iran
• Less violence, more progress in Iraq
• without sacrificing our security, of course, improve opinion of the United States worldwide. With much of the world disagreeing with us, it’s only pouring more fuel on the fire for terrorists wanting to further hurt our country and our allies. Serious US image problem abroad

need I continue?

Of course, if we succeed in de-legalizing abortion, there will be a great need for support from the church.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2003 that 35,900,000 people (12,900,000 children) were living in proverty and 45,000,000 (8,400,000 children) were uninsured. Not exactly a fertile environment for raising children.

And with the banning gay marriage, I fear we will also drive them away. What reason would a gay person ever want to hear about Christ and salvation when we deny them marriage/civil unions, visitation rights, adoption rights, etc.?

Make no mistake – I’m not condoning homosexuality, I’m wondering where the “love” is. All I hear is people talking about “law.”

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

You may want to try the following:

1. 
   *]Contact your elected officials, the good and the bad, and tell them what you expect them to do.
   *]Pray for your elected officials.
   *]Contact your bishop and either thank him for his efforts on the critical issues or tell him how disappointed you are in his lack of courage in standing out for the truth.
   *]Pray for your bishop.
   *]Be aware of what issues are coming up for debate in the legislative bodies and let your elected officials know.
   *]Support organizations that stand for the truth.
   *]Pray for organizations that stand for the truth.
   *]Talk to your friends about the truth and encourage them to stand with you in persauding others.

 

[Beaver]

48-49% of Catholics vote for Kerry!"

This is sick, our family needs our help. Let's work out a plan. 
   
   How can we make a difference?
   
   One suggestion is **Adult Education Programs** in every parish. This should include a **bible study**.
  
  We need not have history repeat its self.

 

[Hesychios]

Let’s face it, George Bush does not have a Catholic agenda, he has an Evangelical Protestant agenda and those things that are most important to us (pro life) happen to be shared by Evangelical Protestants. Our interests dovetail into the Life issues but part in other ways.

I respect the Protestant work ethic and all that, but Protestant teaching does not put what we would call Catholic Social Teachings high on their own agendas, far from it. When we voted for George W we advanced the Evangelical world view and social policy.

If we want to advance a truly Catholic agenda we need to push our position through both political parties, or start our own.

We have had a Republican President, House and Senate for a while now and no real progress on the abortion issue, the President himself insists that it is a state, not a Federal problem.

Forbidding abortion by law will interfere somewhat with the process (thank God), but will not stop it. The abortion business is a huge money-making industry, they will find all kinds of ways to get around the laws of these individual states, including offering abortions in resorts outside of the country!

It is not a time to rest, the scourge of abortion will not leave our land until we actually convert the people of the country. Liberals see themselves as protecting and representing the underdogs, downtrodden and the abused. They would speak for the voiceless. These are noble sentiments that (at their core) are in line with Catholic values, we need to make them see that the unborn are a truly children in need of their protection!

The people of the land can be helped to see that there need not be a conflict between being a social activist and being Pro-Life.

Being Pro-Life is not a liberal or conservative issue, it’s just right.

 

[netmender]

Please consider the following article by American Life League president Judie Brown, entitled “Bush wins again; will the babies ever win?” : all.org/hp9.htm.

A greater harm has been prevented; there is still very much to be done. The fight is far from over.

 

[Mamamull]

I am adopting a four and a half year bi-racial boy. We have adopted “special needs” kids twice before.

Before you think that “special needs” means an invalid some of the criteria in the state of Ohio for meeting the special needs title are:

For a baby or child to be over one year of age.
To be a child of color - usually around here ANY African-American child is special needs.

Our bi-racial son that we have had since birth is special needs. He is bright, healthy and pretty good looking too. It is just his nice color – that I am somewhat envious of in January – that makes him “special needs”.

Some of us are too old to adopt again – or we think so. There is no real age cap on being an adoptive parent anymore.

Perhaps there are parenting classes or a support group for mothers with many little ones. Sometimes one can volunteer to help a family that has had multiples - twins, triplets, etc. The moms are needing some rest and just caring for the babies is frequently all they seek.

One the other end, visit with a shut-in. Prolife is supporting life from conception to natural death.

There are many stages of life where need some help. Ask a preist for some suggestions.

 

[Hesychios]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I just spyed an article on President Bush’s five main points of his ambitious agenda for the new term with the mandate we Catholics we have given him.

In order of priority they are:
1 - Money
2 - Money
3 - Money
4 - Money

oh, and…

5 - Iraq

Meet the new boss, just like the old boss.

 

[Meg2]

Thank you for your responses, everyone. I actually have plenty of ideas of my own, but I wanted to see what everyone would say first. The ideas I listed are only “political”. Prayer and writing letters to politicians is certainly appropriate and can lead to change. But I think we really need to do the true works, getting involved personally.

I think this article about abortion, and teen sex and health issues is particularly interesting. No, they haven’t completely abolished abortion, but they’ve attacked the one of the root problems…teenage sex. This article didn’t address it, but I thought I had also heard/read that the Netherlands better promote pregnancy centers as well. All I here regularly of the pro-life movement is the stuff like “life begins at conception,” “heartbeat at 8 week,” the ads/bumper stickers that talk about how it’s murder. I think we should have more billboards and such that say, “pregnant? we can help.” I’m tired of the judging. I want to see more of how we can help others.

Anything can be accomplished with a change in a person’s heart. Laws can be broken, ignored, circumvented.

Mamamull, you give some great suggestions. And you are living it out in your life through the adoption of that precious little boy.

While discouraging that our government does not fully support “life,” I was happy to hear some people actually admit it, particularly Hesychios. I get the feeling that many think, well now that George Bush has been reelected, I don’t need to do anything else.

 

[Meg2]

By the way, I put my post in the “Spirituality” section because I didn’t want to discuss right or wrong (morals) and I didn’t necessarily want to get in a political discussion. I wanted to answer, “what can we do in our daily lives?”

Anyone want to comment on gay marriage and how I felt we might just be driving people away? How do we reach out to those who are gay if all they are hearing is they are wrong and Christians are taking their “rights” away?

And the U.S. image problem? How is the my-way-or-no-way attitude going to help with peacemaking? Bush says that negotians with North Korea are impossible. I’ve always been told that with God anything is possible. And our challenge is to let **God **show **us **how He can achieve the impossible.

I think we have a lot to learn about other cultures and religions. I think it’s to easy to say, “well they just got it wrong.” But Paul writes:

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

I’m so intrigued by this…

 

[Meg2]

Hesychios:

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I just spyed an article on President Bush’s five main points of his ambitious agenda for the new term with the mandate we Catholics we have given him.

In order of priority they are:
1 - Money
2 - Money
3 - Money
4 - Money

oh, and…

5 - Iraq

Meet the new boss, just like the old boss.

He needed our vote, so he could accomplish his agenda.